In fact, I’m going to advise you to read something else: Wired magazine (www.wired.com) and FastCompany (www.fastcompany.com), both required reading for anyone who’s serious about playing the fast-paced global game we call business.

Here’s a glance at Wired’s July issue . . .

The cover features a distinguished older gentleman next to the caption, ‘Rupert Murdoch, Teen Idol!’

I love this approach because it conveys ageless possibilities as it combats stereotypical associations that apply to organizations and individuals.

Such as . . . the older you get the less you know about technology and the less likely you are to be an innovator – or an investor.

Murdoch’s media corporation is putting up 580 million to buy www.myspace.com.

Here’s a quote from the article that says it all: ‘MySpace fits into an old media portfolio like a skateboard in a Manhattan boardroom.’ Well yeah. (Maybe Murdoch should sponsor the X games on August 3-6 in L.A. – www.expn.com)

If you’re not familiar with www.myspace.com, it’s worth checking out for marketing research purposes. While you’re at it, visit www.youtube.com and watch a few videos. These two sites model viral marketing – see what you can learn from them. Even filling out a MySpace profile is an exercise in finding out what you’re willing to let the world know about you.

The Wired 40, an article by Spencer Reiss, lists the 40 most wired companies in the world. The top 10: Google, Apple, Samsung, Genentech, Yahoo, Amazon.com, Toyota, General Electric, News Corp. and SAP.

In naming the top 40, Wired identified six trends as emerging global economic drivers: -The Power of Peer Production: 80,000,000 MySpace pages -Video Unlimited: any screen, any time-Made to Order: personalize fit-Carbon Killers: go green-M&A as R&D: buy it and try it-The Open Everything Economy: no more closed doors or systems

How can you apply these trends to your business? Personalized email is an easy way to start.

Want to know what kind of genius you are? You can find out by reading Daniel H. Pink’s story on the results of David Galenson’s unified theory of creativity. Conceptualists perform at their best in their youth – like skateboarding icons, while experimentalists peak decades later – like Rupert Murdoch.

If you like this type of trendy reporting, you’ll want to visit each magazine’s site where you’ll find a rich resource of ideas, concepts and information: www.fastcompany.com and www.wired.com. Enjoy!

Here’s to your creative freedom ~ and a fantastic 4th!

P.S. Thanks to Harris Fellman for selecting me as one of his students to talk about my experiences in his class, Codename Catalyst, on a call this week. Welcome to those of you who were listening and joined the Marketing Transformations Network from the call! It’s easy to promote a product that delivers more than ten times the value of the asking price. Order yours now at: www.codenamecatalyst.com/mtn

If you’re in charge of putting together photo albums, try testing out Tabblo, which officially launches on June 30 at www.tabblo.com. The site offers a mix of photo editing tools and design software inside a social community interface. I found out about Tabblo in Walter Mossberg’s Wall Street Journal column. On my Tabblo, you can see me with the famous Internet marketing celebrities I met at Alex Mandossian and Armand Morin’s Customer Appreciation Seminar a few weeks ago in LA. Hmmm . . . does that make me famous?

It’s my first day back in the office after a week long family vacation in – are you sitting down? – Cleveland.

Yes, Cleveland. Ohio.

We rocked out at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (www.rockhall.com), experimented at the Great Lakes Science Center, toured the botanic gardens, cruised to an island, captured butterflies (images only) and rode a wide range of roller coasters at Cedar Point (www.cedarpoint.com).

Now it’s back to business and I have to start off with an apology. I’m using a new phone service that allows me to greet callers with an extended absence greeting. Thinking I was being thoughtful, I set it up to run while I was out of town. What I didn’t know is that this option will not allow callers to leave a message.

So, thanks to all of you who followed my greeting’s guideline to send an email. And, apologies to all of you who called and could not leave a message. If you have this option on your phone service, you may want to call your voicemail to see what happens before you turn the system on.

What I learned on my summer vacation . . . how to be famous

Twenty years after marrying the DJ whose voice I fell in love with, it was time to make the trip to Mecca: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With our 16, 14 and 11 year olds in tow, we drifted into I.M. Pei’s dynamic architectural creation consumed with a sense of wonder and intrigue.

Although we were there for five hours, it turns out we missed a lot. There’s too much to see in a day. One thing we didn’t miss was my brother in law Ted’s sound engineering – his mix is the one used in Billy Joel’s inductee clip. Thanks to Ted, I’ve sat at Billy Joel’s piano, been backstage on Bruce Springsteen’s tours and watched many shows from the wings.

Here are a few lessons we learned at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

– Wardrobe is everything (think Madonna) or nothing (Bruce in Levis), depending on the performer– Elvis was not allowed to talk to his barber – To get to be famous, you have to have something to say– Life moves way, way too fast – we are older today than we think we were yesterday– It’s okay to be a one-hit wonder – if you hit the top of the charts– Rolling Stone hired some delirious writers who got them lots of attention– Bob Dylan’s early videos induced naps in 40% of the audience we were in– My 14 year old son is about the same size as Mick Jagger– Spandex rules – You can write a masterpiece on a cocktail napkin– The Wall still stands and looks harmless and a bit wacky in the sun-splashed atrium– Deadheads never die even though Jerry did, may he rest in peace – Video killed the radio star– Cherish remnants of youthful moments and revisit them often

PR Lesson::How to Get Famous

How do some people get to be more famous than others?

Lots of ways, but having a fabulous publicist on your team may be the fastest ticket to the top.

Another way to get to the top is to follow a proven system that works and do it yourself . . . stay tuned for our upcoming teleseminar series and we’ll show the secrets you need to know to get your name in the news.

Here’s a glance into our public relations (PR) perspective . . .

We don’t practice conventional PR theory that advises you to write and distribute plain vanilla releases and tells you to: stick to the facts, take out the drama, wash out the color and erase all the sparkle.

So all you have left is bland, but true, grit.

We advise the exact opposite. Here’s why.

Most editors and reporters are bored by the ho-hum drill of who, what, when, where and why. They LOVE reading stories they can write about. (How do we know? We asked them.) And, as budgets cut staffs, reporters don’t have as much time as they’d like to write the stories they want. Sometimes they use our stories, almost verbatim, instead.

Through trial and error, we crafted a custom approach to categorizing our information so that everyone gets what they want and then some. You’ll find all the details along with character, color, vibrancy and drama even in the shortest releases. And, we often write at least two versions: one for live editors and one for robotic search engines.

If you’d like our professional opinion on how to make your story more compelling, call us for more information on our PR packages.

The June 15 video is a 20 minute recap of my experiences in LA. The April videos – much better quality – are clips from our Video Marketing Seminar. We’re working on fine-tuning our technology before we launch our MTN LIVE! series.

Think of your life as a passport with stamps from all ofthe places you’ve been personally and professionally.

Where did you feel most at home – and most profitable?

My career path looks like a progressive tour through direct marketing to sales management to copywriting to internal communications toadvertising to public relations to training and speaking in the insurance, consulting, retail, steel, health care, non-profit, family business, spiritual growth and a few other worlds.

Before I delve into a new world, I check out the members. If I like what I see, I follow them tolearn as much as I can and get farther, faster.

When I wanted to transition from the corporate sales managementworld into becoming a copywriter and communication consultant,I joined the largest independent writer’s group in the Midwest.

The writers I met there encouraged me, connected me withopportunities and showed my how to build my business.

And, completing NSA of Illinois’ Candidate University in May introduced me to the inside secrets of what it takes to be a successful professional speaker. Hint: it’s not all about presentation.One of my most important insights is their giving qualities.

While it’s pretty easy to check out a local association – just driveover and show up, it’s more challenging to sync up witha virtual global group of network marketers.

Or so I thought . . .

For months I took passes on offers to go to Internet marketing seminars.It got so bad that even my kids were telling me to get out of Glen Ellyn.

So, when Jenny Hamby asked if I’d fly out to Alex and Armand’s Customer Appreciation Seminar in LA, I said yes.

Over the course of my career, I’ve been to many, many meetings,seminars and conferences. But I’ve never come home so excited andoptimistic about the opportunities for me -and for you, <$firstname$>.

I know I’m in the right place.

So, I’m in – way in with a membership in AM2Gold, Alex and Armand’s mentoring program.

Think of your life as a passport with stamps from all ofthe places you’ve been personally and professionally.

Where did you feel most at home – and most profitable?

My career path looks like a progressive tour through direct marketing to sales management to copywriting to internal communications toadvertising to public relations to training and speaking in the insurance, consulting, retail, steel, health care, non-profit, family business, spiritual growth and a few other worlds.

Before I delve into a new world, I check out the members. If I like what I see, I follow them tolearn as much as I can and get farther, faster.

When I wanted to transition from the corporate sales managementworld into becoming a copywriter and communication consultant,I joined the largest independent writer’s group in the Midwest.

The writers I met there encouraged me, connected me withopportunities and showed my how to build my business.

And, completing NSA of Illinois’ Candidate University in May introduced me to the inside secrets of what it takes to be a successful professional speaker. Hint: it’s not all about presentation.One of my most important insights is their giving qualities.

While it’s pretty easy to check out a local association – just driveover and show up, it’s more challenging to sync up witha virtual global group of network marketers.

Or so I thought . . .

For months I took passes on offers to go to Internet marketing seminars.It got so bad that even my kids were telling me to get out of Glen Ellyn.

So, when Jenny Hamby asked if I’d fly out to Alex and Armand’s Customer Appreciation Seminar in LA, I said yes.

Over the course of my career, I’ve been to many, many meetings,seminars and conferences. But I’ve never come home so excited andoptimistic about the opportunities for me -and for you, <$firstname$>.

I know I’m in the right place.

So, I’m in – way in with a membership in AM2Gold, Alex and Armand’s mentoring program.

In a few minutes I have to leave
to go to Alex and Armand’s Internet
marketing anniversary party so I’ll make
this quick.

The event kicked off on Thursday
evening. Since then, I’ve logged in over
40 hours of listening, learning and networking.

And, I plan to share the highlights with you.
So, stay tuned and invite your friends or
colleagues to join us at www.transformmarketing.com.

Cheers!

Barbara

P.S. Interested in what the speakers had to say?
Here’s how to listen to the preview interviews:http://www.customerseminar.com/preview.
By the way, the same event takes place
next weekend (June 16-18) in Orlando. Registration
is only $1.00. Get there if you can – this experience
will change your life – and your business.

Here in town, one of my clients is hosting the Glen Ellyn Garden Walk. The event benefits their work in helping homeless families transition to a brighter future. Visit their site to download a homeless curriculum guide for students in grades 1-12: http://www.bridgecommunities.org.

Talk to you next week from LA ~

Barbara

P.S. Want to get to know other people inThe Marketing Transformations Network?Send me an introduction and I’ll post it tothe group.